Nigeria’s gold medal in the women’s 4x100m athletics event at last year’s Commonwealth Games has been stripped due to a doping violation, and it has been awarded to England.
The Nigerian team, consisting of Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, and Grace Nwokocha, had made history by winning the gold medal at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, becoming the first women’s relay team from Nigeria to achieve such a feat.
However, the joyous moment was short-lived as it was later discovered that Grace Nwokocha had tested positive for banned anabolic steroids. The revelation cast doubt on the validity of Nigeria’s achievement, which was accomplished with a remarkable time of 42.10 seconds, setting a new African record.
As a result, the Commonwealth Games Federation officially disqualified the Nigerian team, leading to the upgrade of the English quartet to gold medalists. The English team, comprising Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Bianca Williams, and Daryll Neita, had originally finished second in the final but now ascend to the top of the podium.
The decision to disqualify Nigeria and award the gold medal to England was made after the confirmation of Nwokocha’s positive doping test, which revealed the presence of two banned anabolic agents in her sample. Consequently, Nwokocha’s results from the 100m, 200m, and sprint relay have all been nullified.
The matter has been referred to the Athletics Integrity Unit for further investigation and potential sanctions. This development serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to maintain fairness and integrity in sports, as doping violations tarnish the achievements of athletes and undermine the principles of fair competition.
